New road safety drive for children

The Government has launched a new £700,000 campaign to improve road safety awareness among children aged six to 11.

As part of the THINK! initiative, a series of television and cinema adverts will put across important road safety messages to make children aware of the dangers of being careless on the roads.

The TV campaign will show children how important it is to cross the road from a safe place, while the cinema adverts will encourage them to make sure that drivers can see them in the dark.

The number of children killed on Britain's roads stood at 55 last year, while over 19,500 injuries were reported.

Motorists have to make sure that they have taken out a comprehensivecar insurance policy to cover for all expenses in case of an accident.

Road safety minister Mike Penning said: "Britain's roads are among the safest in the world and the number of children killed or seriously injured is 72% lower today than 20 years ago. However, every death on the roads is a tragedy and we are determined to reduce these numbers further.

"That is why - despite the need to cut the deficit - we are continuing to invest in child road safety campaigns to help children to understand the importance of crossing the road safely.

"The television and cinema advertising campaign we are launching today will help to give children the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe as they grow more independent."